I need help with trying to find this piece of footage. The Jackie Gleason Show episode that aired on January 17, 1970. It contains the Incredible World of Ed Norton sketch. While the Honeymooners were shown during the 50s, they were rebooted in the 1960s and 1970s. Unlike other Honeymooners sketches and Jackie Gleason shows that aired during the 60s and 70s, this sketch has not seen the light of day. I contacted Geraldine Chutuk (JACKIE Gleason’s daughter) and asked about this sketch and while she said it’s in a vault. I asked her which one and that is where she hung up on me. I contacted Brian Carney (Art Carneys son) and he doesn’t know either. He was nice. I contacted a bunch of places like the Paley Center of The Media, Museum of Broadcasting, the CBS station in Miami (These rebooted shows we’re filmed in Miami) as well as the previous CBS station in Miami that was affiliated with CBS during the 60s and 70s. No dice. Me and another Honeymooners fan want to see this sketch discovered. Now the Jackie Gleason Show episode that aired on January 17, 1970 is available on the tape trading circuit but that copy DOES NOT have the Incredible World of Ed Norton sketch. Can anyone help? My email is Gannooch@AOL.com
This is the copy of the show that should have the Incredible World Pilot but, instead, has that part spliced out and part of an earlier program attached: www.dailymotion.com/video/x7uhga7
Since Gleason, himself, was the only person who archived his tv shows (CBS does not retain copies in any of their holding sites), I wonder exactly where his secret archive was located? It has been referred to as an archive, a basement storage area, an air conditioned vault and, in the press release for the Lost Episodes' release in the mid-80's, it was called an air conditioned room. There was even video of the film cans stacked in a room with what looked like a crucifix riser in the center of the floor:
What is that odd cross-thing? Is that part of the storage room, or somewhere at the Viacom building?
The booklet included with Time-Life's Gleason Collection shows a tiny picture of some mouldy videotapes and film boxes stored on an old, library shelving unit and mentions a South Florida "vault".
So, where could the storage location be?
Until recently, Gleason's final home had a sale stipulation that the interiors be kept intact with no changes made-- a strange rider for a property sale agreement, right? Could it be that the archive was actually located on that property, which was renovated in the early 80's after a fire took out a great portion of the living space? Or, maybe the tapes were stored on attached properties which were included with the house, itself?
Recently, the property has been offered for sale, again, with an option to change the interior and the decor at the buyer's discretion. Leads me to believe that the media was, actually, stored there up until recently (say, around the time of the Time-Life transfers) in a non-distinct room or closet that is now vacated. I swear, as tight as Gleason was, I don't think he would have let those bits of media stray too far from his clutches, and in reports of that house fire, it had been mentioned that his "legacy" of film had been dangerously close to being lost forever (citation needed, will need more research).
The OP of this thread contacted the fellow who is now selling the house, and it was reported that there was no media storage facility at the residence. So, where would the tapes and, presumably, the remainder of the kinescopes or dupes have ended up?
It is all conjecture, but still kinda fun sleuthing and something to think about that is relevant to this discussion board.
Anyone got any idea where to find the long-lost pilot (or any production information) for "The Incredible World of Ed Norton"?
Last Edit: Aug 2, 2021 13:47:29 GMT by cloggedmind